This invention relates to an improvement in collapsible portable slat seats of the type generally described in Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 2,001,252, issued May 14, 1935. Generally speaking, these types of foldable chairs involve a relatively simple collapsible and foldable composite chair with a back and a seat, and the back and the seat each formed primarily of a series of slats held in co-active relation to each other by fabric and by lateral straps extending from the seat to the back. As a result, the chair may be in conventional chair use or upright position and can be collapsed and rolled up to a non-use storage position.
Chairs of the type generally referred to in the Johnson Patent have met with some degree of success in the past for use at sporting events, on the beach, and the like. They are easily toted, easily set up, highly functional and lightweight. However, in dealing with the collapsible slat chairs of the type described in the Johnson Patent, certain deficiencies have become apparent and perhaps explain why that general seat system disappeared from the commercial marketplace long ago.
In particular, the Johnson Patent system describes that the slats are either free fitting within the pockets of the flexible material holding the slats in parallel relation, or alternatively may be fastened by means such as rivets.
In working with these chairs where the slats are either free or riveted, certain significant failures have become apparent. In particular, rivets necessarily involve placing a hole in the wooden slats first then a similar hole through the canvas. In using heavy durable canvas for the flexible material to hold the slats in their proper relationship, it is inconvenient for shooting a rivet unless the wooden material and the canvas are drilled so as to not tear the canvas in the process. The hole in the wood is undesirable in that it allows for more chances of fracture and splitting of the wood and significantly deteriorates its integrity. Moreover, rivets are costly. Thus, it is desirable to avoid use of rivets because it fatigues the overall structure as well as significantly increases the expense.
In contrast to the suggestion of the Johnson Patent, it has been discovered that free-end insertion into the pockets is unsatisfactory. This is unsatisfactory because it allows each of the slats to be independently laterally moved. Thus, it decreases significantly one of the advantages of the collapsible chair, namely, that the fabric material holds them in a relationship which allows them to co-act to create a hugging feeling for the person sitting in the chair. If the slats can independently move in relationship to the canvas or other material, they can become out of general parallel alignment, causing the chair to improperly fit the user. Moreover, where free or loose pockets are used in conjunction with the ends of the wooden slats, extremely close tolerance levels are demanded in forming the pockets by stitching, as later described. Such precise measurements do not allow for much factory tolerance if the wood is to be held tightly. Moreover, if the tolerances are very close, the process of inserting the wooden slats into the pockets becomes difficult because of the tight fit required to maintain the chair integrity. Moreover, because the wooden slats do very slightly in thickness from run to run, it also becomes impossible to manufacture these chairs in bulk without significant waste, i.e., oversized slats, undersized pockets, etc.
It can, therefore, be seen that there is a real and continuing need for increased efficiencies, both in manufacturer, product integrity and product cost for the foldable, collapsible, slatted chairs of the type referred to herein. It is a primary objective of the present invention to fulfill this need.